Piacere Ristorante Italiano - Family, food and a great love story
A visit to Cloverdale is like stepping back in time to a simpler era. Friendly people, not afraid to say “Hi, how are you doing? “are a common occurrence. With its laid-back small-town vibe, I could picture Norman Rockwell standing on a corner sketching. The other day we had the pleasure of taking a little road trip to Cloverdale where we strolled the sidewalks, soaking in the heady scent of orange blossoms and jasmine, ending the day at one of the restaurants we really enjoy in Sonoma County, Piacere.
Owned and operated by Mary and Jose Pelayo, whose love of food and family shines like a beacon, and their joyful outlook on life and love of community have given them the determination to stay open during the pandemic. Back when takeout was the only option in Sonoma County, they worked hard to nourish the community with their signature sauces, soups, entrees and the desserts, Mary, so eloquently creates. Though Piacere is an Italian restaurant, Jose loves to take it up a notch with a bit of French influence, so evident in the delicate sauces and many of the entrees such as the Chicken Marseilles.
Jose has been involved in cooking just about his entire life when he started at 16 years old in Puerto Vallarta at international hotels where he was able to begin and grow his life as a chef. Over the years he has worked in southern California’s Acapulco restaurant and later moved north to work as a chef in various locations such as Point Reyes, Napa and Sonoma, where he and Mary met at Salini’s, the Sonoma County Airport restaurant. Jose was drawn to Mary’s passion for good food and cooking and liked the way she worked. After working at Salini’s for 2 ½ years they made their way to Roberto’s on highway 12 in Santa Rosa. In 1996 they were married, combining their passion for cooking. In 2000 Mary and Jose fulfilled the life dream they both carried in their hearts and opened Piacere, which means “with pleasure” in Italian. Peeking into the kitchen, watching them work together, “pleasure” is the perfect word to describe what I saw on my visit the other day. You can tell when someone enjoys what they do when it reminds you of a dance, and Mary and Jose were dancing their hearts out in their cooking.
On a previous visit to Piacere with my husband, Terry and a couple of family members in tow, we sat under the heat lamp on the patio, tasting and describing our respective entrees. Due to my love of mushrooms, I chose the Shiitake Mushroom Ravioli in a light pesto and Garlic sauce. It was divine. Very creamy yet not so much so that I felt heavy after enjoying it to the last bite.
On our recent road trip to Cloverdale with the late afternoon sun casting a golden glow on buildings, flora and fauna, even though we had eaten a large meal earlier in the day, we stopped to share a light meal at Piacere. The Caesar salad and a large bowl of creamy Spring Vegetable Soup was the perfect ending to our drive before we turned around and headed home. Jose is a master with soup. Pureeing the roasted vegetable in such a way that they complement each other in their creamy base, I taste celery, squash, red peppers. It reminds me of the symphony where sounds fluidly combine yet French horn, violin and cello can be distinctly detected.
When you go
504 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, CA 95425
707-894-0885
